Course outline
Brief Course
Description
Name of course (Elective) “Listening and Speaking 4”.
This course develops competences in speaking and listening in various
contexts. The course offers more depth and practice than the English
Essential Skills Courses.
The Listening and Speaking elective incorporates level-appropriate
listening techniques and practice in order to aid in students comprehension.
Where possible, students are exposed to authentic English audio files in the
forms of conversations, radio broadcasts and other aural sources of
information. It also includes a variety of level-appropriate speaking tasks
and practice in the form of discussions, debate, presentations and
interviews.
This course supplements the Level 4 English Essential Skills Course
and provides more depth and practice for listening and speaking skills.
Course Prerequisites
Students must be enrolled in an Essential English course in order to take
this elective course.
Students enter their first course of the program based on a diagnostic
assessment and can move up to higher courses during the program duration.
Within one week of the course beginning, instructors can refer the student
to a different level. Students can progress to the next level upon instructor
recommendation.
Textbooks Required
for this Course
Class copies are available as needed. Examples of the main text books used
include:
Main text book:
Level 4: Face the Issues Course book & Class CDs
Course outline
Course Duration
Maximum 12 weeks
Student
Progress/Assessment
Methods
In order to maximize learning time, the course does not include
standardized weekly summative assessment. Students do receive ongoing
formative assessment.
Attendance
Expectations
80%
After completing this course, students
Learning
Objectives/Outcomes will have improved their comprehension
and practical use of English in two skill
areas: listening and speaking. By the end
of this course, students should be able to:
Speaking
-express opinions on abstract/cultural
matters in a limited way or offer advice
within a known area.
-communicate with some confidence and
comfort in casual social conversations
and most daily situations;
-communicate facts and ideas in some
detail;
-describe, report, provide simple
narration;
-participate in formal and informal
conversations involving problem solving
and decision making;
-present a detailed analysis or comparison
Listening
-understand instructions or public
announcements.
Course outline
-understand main ideas, key words and
important details in oral discourse in
moderately demanding contexts (face to
face formal and informal conversations,
audio tapes and radio broadcasts) on
relevant topics and discourse related to
common experience, general knowledge
at a slower to normal rate of speech
-follow most formal and informal
conversations on familiar topics at a
descriptive level at a normal rate of
speech, especially as a participant
This course follows a 12-week
curriculum which includes the chapters of
the texts and teacher made or sourced
materials / activities.
This course is guided by the topics
contained in the main text book, relevant
to the area of need and student progress.
Lessons focus on skill areas relevant to
the learning outcomes.
Course outline
Course details
Week
1
2
3
4
5
Topic and Focus
Speaking
Judging Beauty (Predicting &Thinking Ahead)
Using Intonation for Meaning
Judging With More Thank Our Eyes (Follow Up Discussion)
Listening
A Blind Man Judges Beauty (Listening for Main Idea, Details & Inference)
Judging Beauty Pageants: The Good and the Bad: Taking Notes (Follow Up
Design Part 1)
Speaking
Homelessness and Social Responsibility (Thinking Ahead)
Helping Homeless People (Follow Up Discussion)
Intonation for Listing (Pronunciation)
Listening
A Young Boy’s Quest to Help the Homeless (Listening for Main Idea, Details
and Inference)
Listening and Taking Notes (Follow Up Case Study Part 1)
Speaking
Art and the Effects of Colour (Thinking Ahead)
Word Stress Changes (Pronunciation)
Thinking & Living Outside the Box (Follow Up Discussion)
Listening
Redesigning a Book Store (Listening for Main Idea, Details & Inference)
Listening and Taking Notes (Follow Up Case Study Part 1)
Speaking
Youth Crime (Thinking Ahead)
Contractions (Pronunciation)
School Safety & Gang Membership (Follow-up Discussion)
Listening
One High School’s Experience with Youth Crime (Listening for Main Idea,
Details and Inference)
Listening and Taking Notes (Follow Up Simulation Part 1)
Speaking
Immigration and the North American Diet (Thinking Ahead)
Word Stress in Compound Nouns (Pronunciation)
Eating Habits in Society (Follow Up Discussion)
Listening
Course outline
6
7
8
9
10
The Eating Habits of Immigrant Families (Listening for Main Idea, Details and
Inference)
Listening and Taking Notes (Follow Up Values Clarification Part 1)
Speaking
Valuing Items and Work Ethics (Thinking Ahead)
Word Stress in Affixes (Pronunciation)
Trades and the Ideal Work Environment (Follow-up Discussion)
Listening
To Take Over the Family Business or Not? (Listening for Main Idea, Details and
Inference)
Listening and Taking Notes (Follow Up Case Study Part 1)
Speaking
Science and Student Science Scores (Thinking Ahead)
-ed endings (Pronunciation)
Getting Kids into Science (Follow-up Discussion)
Listening
A Girls’ Science Project (Listening for Main Idea, Details and Inference)
Listening and Taking Notes (Follow Up Values Clarification Part 1)
Speaking
Shopping for Fresh Food (Thinking Ahead)
Double Comparatives (Looking at Language Usage)
/s/ vs. /ʃ/ (Pronunciation)
Shopping for Fresh and Quality Items (Follow Up Discussion)
Listening
Recognising Fresh Fish and a Good Quality Fish Shop (Listening for Main Idea,
Details and Inference)
Listening and Taking Notes (Follow Up Advice Part 1)
Speaking
The Elderly and Nursing Homes (Thinking Ahead)
Thought Groups and Stress (Pronunciation)
Services and Support for the Elderly (Follow Up Discussion)
Listening
Dealing with Elderly Family Members (Listening for Main Idea, Details and
Inference)
Listening and Taking Notes (Follow Up Design Project Part 1)
Speaking
Trends and Experiences in Divorce (Thinking Ahead)
Intonation for Questions (Pronunciation)
Divorce Rates and Parental Behaviour (Follow Up Discussion)
Listening
A Young Girl’s Experience with Divorce (Listening for Main Idea, Details and
Inference)
Course outline
11
12
Listening & Taking Notes (Follow Up Case Study Part 1)
Speaking
Meeting People and Personal Ads (Thinking Ahead)
Word Stress in Phrasal Verbs (Pronunciation)
Meeting and Getting to Know Someone (Follow Up Discussion)
Listening
“Date Night” A Talk Show for Singles (Listening for Main Idea, Details and
Inference)
Listening & Taking Notes (Follow Up Values Clarification Part 1)
Speaking
The Environment & Energy Sources (Thinking Ahead)
Dropped Syllables (Pronunciation)
Vehicle Fuel and Other Innovations (Follow Up Discussion)
Listening
Fuel Innovation: Vegetable Oil (Listening for Main Idea, Details and Inference)
Listening & Taking Notes (Follow Up Survey Part 1)
Course outline